The present invention resides generally in the art of systems and methods for facilitating the transfer of services between members of a group. In particular, the present invention is related to systems and methods for tracking points associated with the exchange of services or goods within a group, wherein those members of the group with the largest point deficits are automatically contacted first to determine whether they are available to provide the requested services or goods to a requesting member of the group.
Barter systems developed into one of the first forms of economic commerce. For example, a farmer could trade or exchange goods, such as chickens or eggs, for other goods such as seeds, supplies, or tools. With the advent of currency, the need for bartering diminished as the farmer could purchase the needed goods for cash raised from the sale of crops.
Barter systems are now coordinated and maintained on the internet. Companies will post their goods available for trade on a barter web site. When another entity wants those goods, the parties settle on a barter price. Each party has an account that is then debited and credited accordingly. This is fairly efficient for the exchange of disparate goods, but not for the exchange of similar goods or services.
Although not widely used, the exchange of similar services between members of a group still occurs. For example, babysitting service cooperatives are well established. These cooperatives typically consist of a number of families with young children in an area who decide to provide babysitting for each other without the exchange of money. The members agree to share responsibilities for record keeping and coordinating the services.
Briefly, the cooperative group appoints a secretary or an administrator that tracks each sit or service rendered. Each member has an account and points or credits are added and deducted according to who provides the service and who requests the service. Points may be determined on any number of scales, such as two points per child, per hour; one point per child, per meal; one point per child, per hour of overnight care within specified hours, and so on. Of course, other point arrangements can be established according to the needs of the group. It is common for the secretarial duties to be rotated among the group members on a monthly basis.
Although these cooperatives are quite popular and effective in their stated purpose, utilization of a cooperative is sometimes problematic. In particular, the secretary for the month may not always have the time to call other members of the cooperative to arrange for another member""s requested service. Accordingly, the requested service sometimes goes unfilled which is frustrating for the person requesting the service. Additionally, the tracking of points for services rendered is often times confusing, especially if the agreed upon point totals are not communicated to the secretary in a timely manner. This makes it difficult to balance the point accounts for each member and may even cause bad feelings between the members.
Based upon the foregoing, there is a need to efficiently arrange for an exchange of services between members of a group while reducing the aggravation and anxiety caused thereby. Moreover, if no one can be scheduled to provide the requested services, there is a need for this to be determined in a quick and reliable manner to allow for the service requestor to make other arrangements.
In light of the foregoing, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for using the same.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative and method for use, as set forth above, that facilitates the formation of a group based upon a desire of group members to exchange services and/or goods with one another.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative and method for use, as set forth above, wherein the group may establish point values and ground rules for the administration of the exchange of services and/or goods.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein the group may establish a computer network among themselves which may include a host-server such that software loaded into one of the computers or the host functions as a group administrator.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein an initiator member of the group may submit the names, rules, and other various types of information needed for establishment of the group.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein the computer-based group administrator may maintain a point system, a ledger, logs, and other various forms utilized by members of the group.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein one of the members may request a service utilizing a form provided by the computer-based group administrator, wherein the requestor provides a date of the service request, an estimated number of points to be earned by performing the service, and wherein the requester submits this information to the computer-based group administrator.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein the computer-based group administrator may receive the request and using criteria established by the group and/or predetermined by the computer-based group administrator, distributes the request to other members of the group in a predetermined manner.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative and method for use, as set forth above, which allows the potential service providers to examine the service request and either accept, reject, or ignore the request.
Yet an additional object of the present invention is to provide a computer-based system for a service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein once the service request is accepted by a provider, the computer-based group administrator may send reminders to both parties a predetermined period of time before the actual service event is to take place.
It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein once the service is performed and the service point totals are confirmed, the computer-based group administrator adjusts the ledger and may update each service provider and requestor with their current point total and where they rank in regard to other members of the group.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based service cooperative system and method for use, as set forth above, wherein the computer-based group administrator may perform ancillary maintenance functions for the group so as to ensure the efficient running of the service cooperative system.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention, which shall become apparent as the detailed description proceeds, are achieved by computer-based service cooperative system, including a host computer, at least two member computers linkable to the host computer, the member computers associated in a member group, a point value system carried by the host computer, wherein one of the members in the member group requests a service event via the host computer, the host distributing the service event request to other members of the group, one of whom accepts and performs the service, and a ledger carried by the host computer for maintaining a point account for each member, the host computer calculating a point amount for each service event and adjusting accordingly the point accounts for the provider and the requestor.
Other aspects of the present invention are attained by a method for exchanging services between members utilizing a computer network, including the steps of establishing a group of members, each member having access to a computer, determining a point value system for exchanging services between members, the point value system maintained on one of the member""s computer, requesting a service by one of the members via the computer from at least one of the other members, accepting via the computer and performing the service request by one of the other members, and automatically adjusting a point account maintained on one of the member""s computers for the member performing the service and the member requesting the service according to the point value system upon completion of the service
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.